This invention relates to a combination tool for preparing tube or pipe ends for welding.
As is well known in the welding art, where it is desired to join the ends of pipe or tubing by welding, the ends are generally prepared by chamfering or bevelling. It is frequently necessary and desirable to dress the ends in this way at the work station or job site. To that end, it is useful to have a portable tool to carry out the end dressing operation which is effective yet reliable. These qualities would be present in a tool which is sufficiently tough, is sufficiently light and is of a simple enough construction to avoid mechanical failure.
A further useful feature of such a tool is that it be capable of dressing the ends of fairly tight bends in the pipe or tubing, and, therefore, that it be relatively short and compact.
Various tools have been developed in the past to achieve various of these objectives. These generally have either been inadequate to do the job or suffered from frequent maintenance problems. As a result, there is currently no tool commercially available which satisfactorily fulfills all of the requirements.
An example of one such attempt is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,999,452, which describes a tool which is adjustable for chamfering or facing, but not both in combination. The tool is illustrative of known tools which are reasonably simple in construction, but in the use of which a number of operations and adjustments are required to complete a single pipe and dressing.
A further example of a combination chamfering and facing tool is found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,228,268. The obvious complexity of this tool is illustrative of one likely to lead to maintenance difficulties.
The present invention overcomes a number of the disadvantages of past tools in providing a tool which is simple in construction and yet strong and capable of performing a complete end dressing.